SageRecorder for Playback...

[KBevo]

Questions, a problem and my wish list, for those that do not have/use SageTV. Also, I am sure I could benefit from others experiences relative to how you use SageRecorder and hearing your pros/cons. I know there must be some things I could be doing better and more effectively, and certainly things I just don't know about.

Questions:
1. Anybody besides me out there use SageRecorder for recorded program playback? If not, why not, and what do you use?

2. What are folks using for IR control of SageRecorder playback? Any problems?

Problem:
During playback, I occasionally cause SageRecorder to freeze and hang up when stepping forward (skip fwd, i.e. Ctrl+Left) using Girder/USB-UIRT for IR control. Happens sometimes with Skip Back as well. Only way I’ve found to get out of it is to kill SageRecorder via task manager. Anybody else seen this?

Configuration:
2.6 GHz, 1GB mem, 18 GB SCSI + 1 160GB SATA
2 X Hauppauge PVR 250's (record only, using SageRecorder 1.4.10)
Sapphire 9600, Chaintech 7.1 sound
No HD.. yet

Usage:
I have two tuners in my HTPC, that I have used to replace two of my 4 VCRS. I record approx 25 to 35 hours of OTA (and cable) programming each week. I download the XMLTV guide each day and wrote my own scheduling programs. I use the ADI Ocelot to control the IR (program start/stop) on my VCRs via Homeseer home automation control program. When I built my HTPC and added the PVR 250s, I integrated the scheduling of them by programmatically modifying the SageRecorder properties files. I have a "monitor" program on my HTPC that automatically stops/restarts the two instances of SageRecorder so it can pickup the new properties file. I use a third instance of SageRecorder for program playback so I can view while I record. The playback instance is setup to work with Girder (v3.3). Now, all program content that can be scheduled on the 2 PVRs will be, and only those programs that overlap time slots are scheduled on the VCRs.

This works well for my style of recording and viewing. I found it great that SageRecorder had a properties file that made the scheduling integration fairly easy. Further, the IR integration with girder was pretty easy and I have found it to be very effective. With the one glitch noted above.

Wish List (as far as I know, I can't do):
1. I wish SageRecorder could be started from the command line, specifying a recorded program to playback (and of course start automatically).
2. I wish the interface box was larger and its text larger and easier to read on my HTPC desktop.
3. I wish the fast forward/back was the smooth scroll forward (like VCRs) rather than the skip type.
4. I wish there was more documentation on the options in the properties file.
5. I wish there were more users of this product and thus more support.. I get the feeling that it may be the step-child in the Frey product line.

Maybe some of you know how to do some of the things above and/or have a work around?

[Xleon]

Hi KBevo ,


1) I have SageRecorder only but I only use it for recordings, not playback. I very, very rarely use it even for time-shifting as it's simply not mature enough to be used on a daily basis, IMO.
It's still the best thing out there for simple scheduled recordings, but it's been neglected and many other programs are ever very close to it or are overtaking it in terms of usage.
I went out and got an XCard with a copy of JovePlayer and I'm more than happy with it. New releases of software every month and the scheduled recording abilities of it was render SageRecorder not required very shortly, which is sad as I had high hopes for SR.


2) I was hoping to use Girder with a spare remote I had, but since I only use it for recording, there is no point. If I really do need to control it, I use the multimedia buttons on my wireless keyboard to start and stop recordings. They just send the correct Cntrl+key combination to SR.


3) Have you looked in to the TCP/IP interface in SR? I dabbled for a bit before getting side-tracked but I hope to finish a few small apps. You might be able to do some of the control you require via that. We just need some clever person to reverse-engineer the TCPI/IP streaming protocol so we can watch the MPEG stream from the SR remote recording option on another program.

[KBevo]

Originally posted by Xleon
It's still the best thing out there for simple scheduled recordings, but it's been neglected and many other programs are ever very close to it or are overtaking it in terms of usage. I went out and got an XCard with a copy of JovePlayer and I'm more than happy with it.

So you still use SR for recording and use JovePlayer/XCard for mpeg playback? In looking at JovePlayer, it looks like the XCard is required? Does the XCard support display of the Windows desktop on your TV or do you use another monitor? Since JovePlayer can record, and supports the 250, you must feel its record quality is (currently) below that of SR?

Have you looked in to the TCP/IP interface in SR?

No not really. Unless your talking about the SR client/server capability, I'm not really sure what you mean by IP interface (I'm pretty much a Frey newbie). It does look like Frey has SR's role moving toward support of the C/S function, which.. may hold some interest for me if/when I build a video server. Right now though, I have everything in one HTPC box. Down the road, when I go HD, I would like to move all recording to a server and playback to the client. Just don't know what, if any, role Frey's products can play in that HW/SW configuration.

Thanks for the feedback Xleon. Your SR application is interesting and gives me food for thought. I do have to wonder though, over 32 viewers of this thread and your the only reply. Disappointing, but.. I guess indicative of the interest/support for the product.

[Xleon]

So you still use SR for recording and use JovePlayer/XCard for mpeg playback? In looking at JovePlayer, it looks like the XCard is required? Does the XCard support display of the Windows desktop on your TV or do you use another monitor? Since JovePlayer can record, and supports the 250, you must feel its record quality is (currently) below that of SR?

Sorry for the delayed reply - been very busy... You are right, I only use SR for recording and JP for everything else. I was excited by the time-shifting function on SR but rarely ever found a use for it, though I still use it on a very rare basis. My setup is in a dedicated PC, so I have the SVHS come from both my VGA card and one from the Xcard and switch between them as I need.

The record quality is the same for both softwares as they both use the same capture card! The only reason I use SR for recording and not JP is that JP doesn't (as yet) support my capture card and it doesn't yet have a 'record now' button like SR.

The TCP/IP commands allow you to do simpe things to SR like start a record, stop a record and ask SR what it's currently doing (eg. recording, playing, idle).